Sudan Government To Invest $213 Million In Wind Energy Project

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Flag_of_SudanSudan seems to be getting ready to play catch-up with several other African countries tapping renewable energy to strengthen their electricity sectors. Sudan has announced a large-scale wind energy project for this purpose.

The government in Sudan has decided to invest $213 million to set up the 100 MW wind energy project by 2019. The United National Development Programme (UNDP) will contribute $4 million to the project. The plan includes implementation of a 5 MW project by the end of 2015, which will subsequently be expanded.

Sudan is blessed with significant wind energy resources. The average monthly average wind speed has been measured at 8 meters/second in the northern region of the country and along the Res Sea coast. According to the UNDP, the Sudanese government needs to implement investor-friendly policies to effectively tap these rich resources. The UNDP has urged the government to consider implementing feed-in tariff policies to attract private power project developers to the country.

Renewable energy can play a critical role in increasing electricity access in Sudan. According to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA), less than a third of Sudan’s population had access to electricity in 2011. About two-thirds of the electricity is generated from hydropower resources, while one-fourth comes from fossil fuels (diesel and fuel oil).

Hopefully, the government, with help from international agencies, will implement policies that attract private investment in renewable energy investment. In 2010, Dubai-based Omene Energy had signed a memorandum of understanding to set up 500 MW of wind energy capacity, in blocks of 100 MW. The Ministry of Electricity and Dams of Sudan is also looking to expand the development of renewable energy with a focus on wind energy and has awarded contracts to international companies for the development of wind projects in the country.


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Mridul Chadha

Mridul currently works as Head-News & Data at Climate Connect Limited, a market research and analytics firm in the renewable energy and carbon markets domain. He earned his Master’s in Technology degree from The Energy & Resources Institute in Renewable Energy Engineering and Management. He also has a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Engineering. Mridul has a keen interest in renewable energy sector in India and emerging carbon markets like China and Australia.

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